1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a network environment, and, in particular, to the provision and implementation of preferences, logon assignments, and resource allocation to users in a heterogeneous network environment. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a system, method, and program for implementing logon assignments to allocate network resources to users in a heterogeneous network environment that has various networked resources and systems, such as server systems and client systems, running under different software platforms using different file systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a homogeneous network environment, a user logs onto a homogeneous network by entering logon information or user account information at a client system, and the client system routes and communicates with a configuration server that has stored the information and user account that has been set up for the network user. The user is able to roam among and log on at any client system in the homogeneous network. In the homogeneous network, all of the server systems and client systems operate under a single software platform (i.e., single operating system).
After a user logs onto the homogeneous network through the client system, the configuration server sends to the client system a user profile that contains the profile of the user for the network. The user profile is a record containing information of an authorized user for the network. The user profile may contain security and access information, mailbox location, terminal type being used, “logon assignments”, and other such preferences for the user. “Logon assignments” are resources or preferences that have been assigned and are managed for a user when the user logs onto the network. Resources include any part of a data processing system or network that can be assigned to a program or process when it is executing. Resources may include disk drives, directories of disk drives, printers, serial devices, peripheral devices, any other shared devices, and shared software programs. Logon assignments may include both hardware and software preferences for a user. One type of logon assignment is a “home directory”. A “home directory” is a directory that exists for the user when the user first logs into the network, and the home directory typically contains user files for the user.
A method and system for providing these assignments and preferences to a roaming user logging into a homogeneous network at any client system within the homogeneous network presently exist. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/118,209 filed Jul. 17, 1998 entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ALLOWING A USER TO ROVE AMONG VARIOUS CLIENTS IN A NETWORK WHILE MAINTAINING INDIVIDUAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE PREFERENCES” assigned to International Business Machines, Armonk, N.Y. (IBM Docket No. AT9-98-259) discloses such an exemplary method and system. The present trend, however, is to implement heterogeneous networks and to enable users to roam and access the network through any system regardless of the software platform under which the system is operating.
A heterogeneous network environment includes networked systems, such as client systems and server systems, that operate under different software platforms (i.e., Windows NT, OS/2, UNIX, LINUX, AIX, etc.). The problem is that a user profile is generally limited to being set up and implemented for a user under a single software platform (i.e., a single operating system). The logon assignments and preferences for the user can only be sent to a client system in the homogeneous network operating under that platform. In this instance, the client system is able to implement the logon assignments and preferences, and the client system is able to attach and mount to the allocated resources specified by the logon assignments and preferences. However, if the user logs onto the heterogeneous network at a client system operating under a different platform, then the client system is not able to implement and execute the logon assignments and preferences in the user profile. Various allocated resources specified by the logon assignments and preferences for the user are then unable to be mounted or attached by the client system.
Therefore, the present invention recognizes that the provision and implementation of logon assignments and preferences must be expanded to a user(s) in a heterogeneous network. The client system must be enabled to mount allocated resources that have been specified by logon assignments and preferences regardless of the software platform or operating system of the client system at which the user has logged into the heterogeneous network.